Conduit connecter



Patented July 26, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COND UIT' CONNEC-TER Charles W. Barnard, Chicago, Ill., assigncr to Kwikon Company; Chicago, 111., a corporation -of Illinois Application May 6, 1936, Serial No. 78,075 3 Claims. (Cl. 2856.5)

My invention relates to connectors and more secured to the casing by a connecterembodying particularly to connecters adapted to be posimy invention. The high voltage terminals l2 tioned adjacent an opening in a box or the like of the transformer are connected by leads l3 and to receive the end of a conduit containing to the ignition apparatus of a liquid fuel burner a conductor electrically connected to apparatus or the like. within the box. Connecters made in accordance with my in- The primary object of my invention is to provention include as their principal elements a holvide a connecter of this type having a body porlow body portion, a conduit receiving portion, tion adapted to be rigidly mounted in alinement and means providing a swivel connection therewith an opening in a box or the like, and a 0011- between. In the preferred construction illus- 1'0 duit receiving portion connected to the body portrate'd, the connecter includes a hollow cylintion in such manner as to permit a swiveling drical body portion I4 having a smooth walled motion therebetween so that the connecter may passage l5 therein adapted to receive electrical be readily attached to the end of a conduit eX- conductorsextending from the transformer and tending in any selected direction with respect to to protect the same against abrasion. The body the a of the y portion of t e n ec portion M is arranged in alinement with a con- A more specific object of my invention is to ductor receiving opening I6 in the wall of the provide a connecter including swivel connected transformer casing 50, being preferably insertab y and Conduit receiving portions, and ans ble therein, and an arrangement is provided for for limiting the amplitude of movement therebemaintaining the same rigidly in place. This ar- 20 tween so as to prevent undue w t g Of 8 66- rangement preferably includes a lock nut ll trical conductors inserted therein, as well as engaging threads ii! on the rear end of the body means for releasably securing the portions of the portion M and cooperating with a laterally exnne t r ly t r t p v t relativ tending annular shoulder I9 to maintain the 95 move e e eb after y have been body portion in position on the transformer casadjusted to a desired position. ing. Transformers of the type illustrated are Further O j a vantages of my invenusually filledwith a viscous insulating comtion w become pp a the OW 6- pound, and it will be noted that the connecter scriptieh proceeds and iJhe features of v ty construction illustrated is especially adapted to which characterize my invention are pointed out revent leakage of this insulating compound with particularity in the claims annexed to and from the opening it in the casing. forming a part of this specification. The conduit receiving portion of the connecter For a better understanding of my inven is angularly disposed with respect to the body porref r n m y be had to the panyi d wtion thereof and, in the construction illustrated,

3.3 mg, in which: is arranged substantially at 90 with respect re 1 is a perspective Viewv 0f alliencased thereto. This conduit receiving portion prefertransforme having a connecter embodying y ably includes a pair of opposed clamping meminvention mounted on a side wall thereof. berg 2c and 2!, The clamping member 20 is 2 s longitudinal seetiollal View O e provided with a half-round recess 22 in the front 5 connecter shown in Fi 1. face thereof which cooperates with a correspond- 4 i 3 is a front elevation 0fv the connecter ing recess 23 in the clamping member 2| to form shown i and a conduit receiving opening communicating with 4 is an m perspective View of the the interior of the hollow body portion I4. The connecter shown clamping member 2| is detachably secured in Although connecters made in accordance with position on the Clamping member The 5 my invention are susceptible of use in a wide curing alrangement includes a laterally extendvarlety of other types of 1nstallat1ons, they are especially adapted for connecting the ends of mg ear formed on the 20 andpasslng through a registering slot 25 1n the conduits, containing conductors connected elec- I h trically to the terminals of encased transformclamping member 2 T e opposlte edges of the 50 clampmg members are detachably secured toers. Accordingly, I have, for purposes of illustmtion, Shown in Fig, 1, a tran former havinga gether by a screw 26 passing through a slot 21 rectangular sheet metal-casing In in which the formed in e laterally extending a 28 on t low voltage leads are connected to conductors clamping member 2|. The inner end of the screw encased by a spiral metal conduit H which is 26 is threaded in a suitably tapped hole formed 5 in a corresponding laterally extending ear 29 formed on the clamping member 20.

In accordance with my invention, the conduit receiving portion of the connecter is adapted to have a swiveling motion with respect to the body portion thereof in order that the conduit l I may be received without twisting the same irrespective of its angular position with respect to the axis of the body portion of the connecter. This swivel connection preferably includes an integral circular extension or ring 30 formed on the clamping member 2|] and encircling the outer end of the body portion M. The outer edges 3| of the body portion M are flared outwardly by swedging or the like in order to form a lip which serves to prevent axial displacement of the extension 30 and also to provide a smooth edge which will protect the electrical conductors extending thereover against abrasion. The shoulder l9 and flared edge 3| thus cooperate to form an annular groove extending entirely about the body portion I4 of the connecter, the ring 30 being disposed in this groove for adjustable swiveling motion. It will be noted that the clamping member 2| extends across the open end of the body portion I4 substantially into contact with the extension 30 so as to protect the electrical conductors throughout their length.

It is desirable to limit the amplitude of swiveling motion of the conduit receiving portion of the connecter about the axis of the body portion so as to prevent undue twisting of the conductors located in the connecter. Consequently, I preferably provide a lug or lateral projection 32 on the body portion M which cooperates with a lug 33 on the clamping member 20 to limit the swing ing motion of the latter to an arc of approximately 270.

In using a connecter of the type described, the body portion M is first positioned in the conductor receiving opening of a transformer casing or the like. The conductors connected to the terminals of the transformer may then be insorted into the hollow body portion of the connecter and into the conduit. The end of the conduit is preferably abutted against a shoulder 34 formed within the clamping member 20 so as to accurately position the same. The clamping members 2!] and 2! are then drawn together into clamping engagement with the conduit by a screw 35 passing through a slot 36 in a lateral extension on the clamping member 2| and threaded in a suitable tapped hole formed in a corresponding extension 3? on the side of the clamping member 20. It will be noted that the clamping member 2| is preferably split, as indicated at-3B, in order that the lower portion thereof may be firmly clamped against the conduit by the screw 35. An inwardly extending lug 39, struck out from the lower side wall of the clamping member Zll, engages a groove in the conduit 1 l in order to aid in positioning and clamping the same.

The conduit receiving portion of the connecter is then releasably secured in alinement with the conduit II by a set screw 40 threaded in a suitably tapped hole formed in the lug 33 and engaging the adjacent surface of the body portion M. In the particular installation illustrated, the set screw 60 also serves to form an electrical connection between the casing Ill and conduit II which is desirable since both of these parts should ordinarily be connected to ground.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a connecter which may be economically manufactured and which includes a minimum number of parts, all of them relatively simple in construction. At the same time, the connecter is adapted to be used in installations where joints of various angles may be encountered.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention in connection with a transformer casing, it should be understood that I do not wish my invention to be limited to the particular construction shown and described, and I intend in the appended claims to cover all modifications within the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a connecter the combination of a cylindrical hollow body 'member having an annular groove in the exterior surface thereof extending about said body member adjacent one end thereof, a pair of opposed generally semicylindrical clamping members disposed substantially at right angles to the axis of said body member and fashioned to receive the end of a conduit inserted therebetween, means for releasably holding said clamping members together in clamped engagement with a conduit, a closed ring formed as an integral extension on one of said clamping members and disposed in said annular groove thereby supporting said clamping members for swiveling movement about the axis of said body member, and means independent of said firstnamed clamping means for releasably holding said ring in its adjusted position.

2. In a connecter the combination of a cylindrical hollow body member having an annular groove in the exterior surface thereof extending about said body member adjacent one end thereof, a pair of opposed generally semicylindrical clamping members disposed substantially at right angles to the axis of said'body member and fashioned to receive the end of a conduit inserted therebetween, means for releasably holding said clamping members together in clamped engagement with a conduit, a closed ring formed as an integral extensionv on one of said clamping members and disposed in said annular groove thereby supporting said clamping members for swiveling movement about the axis of said body member, a set screw threaded in said ring and engageable with the bottom of said groove for releasably holding said ring in its adjusted positions, and means including cooperating projections on said ring and body member for positively limiting the extent of relative adjusting move ment therebetween.

3. In a connecter the combination of a cylindrical hollow body member having an annular groove in the exterior surface thereof extending about said body member adjacent one end thereof, a generally cylindrical conduit receiving member disposed substantially at right angles to the axis of said body member and fashioned to re ceive the end of a conduit inserted therein, means for releasably holding said conduit receiving member in engagement with a conduit inserted therein, a generally ring-shaped extension on said cylindrical member and projecting into said annular'groove thereby supporting the same for swiveling movement about the axis of said body member, and means independent of said firstnamed means for releasably holding said ringshaped member in its adjusted position.

4 CHARLES W. BARNARD. 

